


Stray Cat Shorts

by chibi_nightowl



Series: Stray and the Red Hood [3]
Category: Batman (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Coffee, Communication, Crossdressing, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, PTSD- Jason has it, Partnership, Romance, Stray!Tim, Suggestive language, Triggers, Vigilante Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-03
Updated: 2018-07-03
Packaged: 2019-06-04 21:24:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15155945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibi_nightowl/pseuds/chibi_nightowl
Summary: Little oneshots and shorts featuring Stray and the Red Hood from my Stray Cat Strut universe.





	1. Spilled coffee all over myself while I was just fucking standing there doing nothing. When will my suffering end?

**Author's Note:**

> Just doing a little housecleaning and putting all my recent Stray!Tim stories in one place. These are all prompts I received over on Tumblr, but I'm open to ideas from readers here as well for more short adventures in the Stray and the Red Hood universe!

Tim was having one of those days where nothing seemed to be going right. He overslept even with two blaringly loud alarms making their presence known to the world, slipped in the shower and added another bruise to his collection, and knicked himself while shaving. Admittedly, he probably deserved that one because he was trying to brush his teeth too, but he was the king of multitasking, so this just seemed like an epic fail on his part. 

Breakfast was a pipedream, but Tim did manage to grab his coffee on the way out the door, so he claimed a minor victory there. Jason would not be pleased when he found out, but he wasn’t there to frown at Tim’s life choices at the moment, so there. 

Thank god for small favors that he was at the brownstone rather than his apartment near Sheldon Park, otherwise he’d be even more late for class than he already was. The professor frowned when Tim slunk in fifteen minutes late, but he hardly cared. He was here and it was about time she learned to run her own powerpoint anyway. 

Petty? Yes. 

He still gave her the clicker. It didn’t work. Of course.

The day kept spiraling from there. 

By the time Tim was done with classes, he’d decided the universe was out to get him. There was no way in hell he was going out tonight. Considering his luck, Stray would end up as street pizza in some complete and utterly inane fashion. It would be in front of Robin too, who would probably resurrect him just to make fun of his ignominious end. Nope, he was going home, ordering takeout, and playing video games for the rest of the day. 

Plan in place, Tim left campus. 

Halfway to the brownstone, he decided he needed more coffee. Why not? Jason was with Dinah halfway around the world right now, so he wasn’t there to monitor his caffeine intake. Tim loved Jason, he really did, but sometimes he wanted to take one of the man’s guns and shoot him with it. Usually when Jason hid the regular coffee and left only the decaf. 

Tim had no sooner walked into the coffeeshop than his phone rang. Looking at it, he shook his head and huffed softly. “Your ears must have been burning,” he said as he answered it. 

“That so, pussy cat?” Jason replied. “You gettin’ your claws into something you shouldn’t?” 

“Maybe,” Tim teased as he approached the counter. “How are things going on your end?” Time to deflect. He was good at it. 

“I got a headache the size of midtown and I haven’t had a single ounce of privacy for a fucking week. A guy has needs, you know? Kinda hard to take care of them when Mama Bird is right there next to ya.” 

Through the connection, Tim could hear Dinah laughing. “You and me both, sweetie. Two more days and we’re done.” 

That meant Jason would be home in three days. A weight lifted that Tim didn’t realize was on his shoulders. 

“I’m pretty sure I don’t want to know what those are,” Tim said. Adjusting the phone against his shoulder, he gave his order to the barista. He liked Dinah, he really did, but she loved to overshare on purpose just to get a rise out of him. With Jason around, she’d found a new target, especially once they both learned just how red Jason’s ears got when he blushed. 

It was adorable. Tim even had a picture. 

“Same,” Jason replied. “Do I want to know why you just ordered a double shot of espresso?” 

“I have my own needs.” Tim relayed how his day started out and Jason was soon in stitches, wheezing over the line. 

“Christ, pussy cat. That sounds just  _awful_.” He didn’t sound like he meant it. “Lemme tell you about mine.” 

Between one and ten on the suck scale, Tim already knew Jason’s day would be a twelve. Still, because he’s a good boyfriend, he listened as he waited for his coffee, making appropriate interjections and comments as needed. 

Jason was still talking when the barista handed Tim his hot drink. Nodding in thanks, he left the shop and continued walking home.

“…so that’s how my day’s been,” Jason finally finished. 

“Sounds awful,” Tim agreed, sipping from the coffee. It was still too hot to drink fast. “If this was a pissing contest, you definitely won.” 

Jason snorted and Tim could just imagine him rolling his eyes. “This was just stating the facts. When we’re havin’ a pissing contest, you’ll know it.” 

Tim hummed in agreement, stopping at an intersection to wait for the light to change. “Well, I’m sure it’ll be between you and Dick first. I’ll make sure to bring popcorn.” 

“You are such a jackass. Remind me why I’m dating you again?” 

“Because you love how I look in shiny black leather.” The retort rolled smoothly off his tongue, which was all well and good because for some inexplicable reason, Tim’s coffee decided to do the same, but from his hand instead. Hot coffee spilled over his fingers, causing him to jerk and splash it all over his shirt.  _“Fuck!”_  he shouted and tried hard not to drop his phone. The last thing he needed was to break it and lose the connection.  _“Hot! Jesus, shit!”_  

He’d never been much for swearing until he started hanging out with Jason regularly. Bad habits and all that. 

“Tim! You okay?” he heard Jason asking, practically shouting over the phone. “Talk to me, pussy cat.” 

“Fuck,” Tim swore one last time, shaking his hand and grimacing at the red skin. That was going to hurt any moment now. “Yeah, sorry. Spilled coffee all over myself while I was just fucking standing here doing nothing.” He pouted and glared at the offending paper cup laying on the ground. It was evil. That’s all there was to it. No, the universe was evil. It was definitely out to get him today. “When will my suffering end?” 

Jason laughed at him. “Didn’t we establish already that I’m having a worse day than you?” 

“No, we established that you’re having a worse week than me, but you didn’t just get attacked for no reason by a cup of coffee.” Tim tugged at his damp shirt and shivered as a cold wind started blowing, turning what was once hot into ice. “That’s it. I’m going home. I’m not even stopping for food now.” 

“Aww, poor pussy cat, got his fur all wet,” Jason teased, still laughing. 

“Yeah, you enjoy trying to sneak a handjob in later tonight when Dinah’s sleeping. You’re getting dick from me when you get home.” Tim knew even as he said it that it was the wrong thing to say. 

“I’m getting dick from you, huh?” his boyfriend replied. “Since when is that any different from what I normally get?” 

“Shut up.”

 


	2. 40. "You look incredible in that." JayTim with stray!Tim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder for those who haven't read Stray Cat Strut in a while...Jason very definitely has PTSD here and works hard to cope with the realities of it.

Jason clearly picked the wrong night to follow his one and only lead in a case involving a new street drug that had killed four people so far and left dozens of others so sick that many of them were still in the hospital trying to recover. He needed a sample, not only to break down the chemical components of it, but to take note of who’s dealing, who’s running, and who the fuck was in charge because he desperately wanted to wipe that asshat off the face of the planet.  

But tonight did not appear to be the night for it. Lights flashed and music pounded, even outside and across the street where Jason perched on the edge of a roof looking down at the club his target just entered. He couldn’t help but notice she bypassed the bouncer at the door easily. Then again, she also had a great pair of tits that were quite prominently on display, so that could be it too. 

This was a part of the job that sucked. Clubs were not his thing. Not because of the noise or the lights, but the press of the crowd around him, bodies invading his personal space, people thinking they had a right to touch just because he was there. Jason chewed on his lip, debating his options. He could do it, he knew he could if he just stayed focused. But there was also an art to blending in with a crowd like that and the last few weeks have been hell on his nerves. Low-key anxiety was bubbling up even as he tried hard to force it down.  

Fuck it. This was why he had a partner now. 

Jason tapped the comm in his ear. “You got a sec, pussy cat?” 

“For you? Always. Well, almost. Gimme a moment.” Over the line, Jason heard the sound of a fist hitting flesh and Tim lecturing someone about how important it is that he be honest with him because the consequences weren’t going to be so pretty.  

The Red Hood and Stray were working this case together. From the sound of it, Jason had a feeling they should have tackled each other’s respective assignments tonight. 

“Okay, what’s up?” Tim said after another minute where clearly nothing useful was learned.  

“Our girl just wandered into Club Crawl.” 

“Oh, exciting. I haven’t been there for awhile.” Tim sounded pleased. “You heading in?” 

Jason hedged, not wanting to disappoint his cat, but at the same time, not wanting to get yelled at for doing something he was clearly uncomfortable with and triggering one of his episodes. Well, triggering one sooner. It had been awhile since he’d had one and they both recognized the signs that one was brewing. “Actually, I was kinda hoping you might." 

“You alright?” Tim asked after a moment, a hint of concern in his voice. 

“Yeah. Just…I’m feeling on edge and the last thing we need is for me to have a meltdown in a place like that.” It hurt admitting that. That he was not okay and probably never would be, but he’d worked hard to identify his triggers and Tim made sure he knew what they were too so that shit like this didn’t have to happen.  

“Fair enough. This guy was a bust anyway. I’ll be there in thirty.” 

“I’ll cover the exits, just in case.” Jason could do that at least. 

“Sounds good. See you soon.” 

~*~ 

Thirty three minutes later, Jason was once again perched on the edge of the same roof. He’d made a lap around the club, checking the back entrance and placing a camera there just in case his target slipped out the alley. There was clearly activity happening in the higher levels of the building, but the windows were all blacked out or covered, so he couldn’t get a good look. He did find a roof entrance, which proved a viable way for him to enter the building without going through the crowd below. Didn’t look like anyone used it either aside from the occasional cigarette break if all the butts littering the ground was any indication. A camera was left up there too. 

Jason sensed rather than heard anything indicating he was no longer alone on the rooftop. Turning, he spotted Tim sauntering over to him. His jaw dropped in astonishment. “What are you wearing?” 

“Just a little something I like to break out for times like this.” Tim twirled on spiky heels, showing off the darkly glittering mini-dress he was wearing. Black fishnet stockings disguised the muscular line of his legs. “I never did get a chance to ask what you think about crossdressing.” 

Right now, all Jason could think about was what Tim was wearing under the dress and if they had time for a quickie before his cat got to work. Damn, but he didn’t think he’d ever gotten this hard this fast in his life. “You look incredible in that.” 

Tim grinned, obviously pleased with his reaction. “I normally take a little more time to put myself together, but I think it turned out okay.”  

There was makeup involved, yes. And Tim’s hair was styled in a tousled look he only ever had after Jason spent all night running his fingers through it. Tim raised a finger to tap at his dark red lips and holy crap, he must have put on some fake nails because his own were not that long. Jason should know, they were pressed into his back often enough. 

“I think you look more than okay,” Jason managed to say. “In fact, when we’re done here, I will be more than happy to examine every inch of that outfit, including whatever you’re wearing underneath.” 

Tim pouted, but there was clear amusement in his eyes as he drew closer to Jason and wrapped his arms around his neck. “Promise?” he whispered against Jason’s lips. 

“Promise." 


	3. 5. "You're jealous, aren't you?" JayTim with stray!Tim maybe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can be read as a sequel to the last one.

It was for a case. Jason knew it. Tim knew it. The whole song and dance going on down on the dance floor was a perfectly choreographed act and yet Jason still felt waves of jealousy churning through his body as his pussy cat put the moves on their suspect.   
  
Getting an invitation to an exclusive party like this was practically a guarantee in cracking the weapons smuggling case that they’d been investigating for the last month. Oracle was certain their target was the man Tim was dancing with. All they needed to do was keep him occupied while Jason snuck into the man’s office and put his meager computer skills to good use so Barbara could do the rest.   
  
His part done, Jason kept an eye on Tim from high above. How his cat managed to pass himself off as a woman was beyond him. If he hadn’t seen the transformation before his very eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it. Tim’s slender but strong physique lended itself well to cross dressing, but Jason had learned the real trick was disguising his arms and shoulders to distract from their all too masculine build.   
  
The long sleeved and completely backless dress was perfection as far as Jason was concerned. Just like with that club a couple months back, he wanted to crawl under that skirt and make an absolute mess of the normally calm and collected cat.   
  
If he was lucky, he’d be able to do it soon.   
  
At the designated time, Tim coquettishly excused himself from their target and strode through the crowd towards an exit that opened up into a side hall where the restrooms were located. There was a very conveniently placed window looking out over the city and Jason was already in place, hanging just above it on a zip line, ready to haul his pussy cat to the roof and freedom.  
  
Tim opened the window and peeked up at him. “Hello, handsome. Ready to sweep me off my feet?”  
  
“Just say the word, darlin’,” Jason replied, playing along.   
  
“Get me out of here. My feet are killing me.”  
  
Jason laughed, lowering himself to the narrow ledge Tim scooted onto. He reached around him and closed the window. “Don’t want anyone looking for bodies down below.”   
  
“I can think of one person I wouldn’t mind seeing on the sidewalk,” Tim grumbled as they rappelled up to the roof. “I run into a lot of people that could be called garage but he’s the real deal. Possessive too. He did not want to let me go to the bathroom. Kept telling me we could go to his suite.”  
  
Jason was glad he had a tight hold on Tim already. He didn’t think the way his fingers dug into his hip would be noticeable. “He must be the touchy feely type too because he sure had his hands all over you.”   
  
Tim smirked at him as they reached the roof and Jason helped him over the ledge. “You were jealous, weren’t you?”  
  
Damn. “Maybe.”  
  
Tim sauntered up to him and wrapped his arms around Jason’s neck. “You know you have nothing to be jealous about.”  
  
“I know. Doesn’t make it any easier watching some asswipe get his hands all over you.”  
  
“Get me home and you can wash it all away.” Tim pressed his lips against the corner of Jason’s mouth. “Make me yours all over again. And again. And again.”  
  
And this...this was why Jason was head over heels for his pussy cat. He always knew exactly what he needed before he even had a clue.   
  
“Love you, cat,” he breathed, kissing Tim back.   
  
“Love you too, Jay. Now let’s get out of here. My feet really do hurt.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted in Coffee House Rules, but has since been deleted there.


End file.
